Split Personality Wardrobe

Happy day, dear reader!

I was talking to a woman at the mall last week (People talk to me everywhere I go. I’m approachable. What can I say?) who was complaining that her closet is schizophrenic. Clearly, her closet cannot suffer from mental illness, but I understood her to say that her closet is not making sense, or looks like a mash-up of a few women with very different styles. Does this sound familiar? I see it regularly! Let’s talk about a few of the reasons this can happen, and how to get back in balance…

Chasing the Trends

Fast fashion can be a real problem for the environment, your wallet, and your closet. With stores updating their merchandise and displays every week, it is easy to snap up what’s new and fun because you know once it’s gone, it’s gone. FOMO is a powerful driver. It used to be that you could decide months later that you liked something you saw at the store, because they would receive a second shipment, or could order it for you. You can certainly order now, (Online shopping is another post completely.) but retailers are minimizing their stock and maximizing turnover time, so what’s available now, may not be in two weeks’ time. A Shopping Fast can be a great way to break the habit of trend chasing, as can keeping a Wish List.

Shopping with Friends (or Family)

Shopping can be a great way to spend time with friends, but peer pressure can be bad for your wardrobe! (And your budget!) You must be careful not to buy what others like unless it is something that makes your heart sing. The same goes for shopping with a family member (especially a very opinionated one) who tells you what you need, or look best in. I find the best response to that is “I’m waiting to see what I need for (upcoming season.)” or “I’m just looking today. I’ll keep that in mind when I decide to buy.” Shopping to please someone else is a great way to end up with a closet full of clothes that don’t suit your body shape or personality. If they love it, they should buy it for themselves! Or you could always blame it on me! “My Style Coach says…”

Work/Play Personality Disconnect

Sometimes you will have two very distinct wardrobes in your closet. Maybe your work environment is classic and conservative and you are more creative or dramatic. Or maybe your work requires a uniform. That’s not a problem; it’s just a fact of life, but you may want to keep your work and play wardrobes in their own sections of the closet, so that you are not hunting through suits when you are packing for the beach, or rifling through sundresses when you need to get out the door for work. Getting the Work Only, Play Only, and Both (if any) clothes into their own sections/categories can help create a structure to sort what feels like chaos. If that work/play personality disconnect is causing you problems dressing for work, there are ways to work within most dress codes to help you feel more at home, and “you,” and less like you are wearing a costume at work.

How about you? Do you feel like your closet looks like a personality mash-up, or does it feel integrated with your personality? Does shopping with friends or family make buying easier? Or harder? What do you have in your closet that isn’t you, but you struggle to let go of?I’d love to hear from you! Let’s have a chat in the comments below!

Stylishly yours,

Many thanks (as always!) to Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb for the Link-Up!